• IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE
• PALATABILITY
• NUTRITIONAL VALUE
• COVER VALUE
• VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES
• OTHER USES AND VALUES
• MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS

IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE:

Mariposa manzanita is poor livestock browse but is a valuable food source for wildlife. The fruits are eaten by coyotes, foxes, and various species of birds including blue and sharp-tailed grouse [2,5,35]. The foliage is considered inferior browse for deer, although it is used to some extent on winter ranges. Young seedlings are preferred over mature shrubs [5,28].

PALATABILITY:

The palatability of Mariposa manzanita is rated as poor for cattle, sheep, domestic goats, horses, and mule deer [28].

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

Manzanita spp. do not provide high-quality browse [28].

COVER VALUE:

No entry

VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:

Mariposa manzanita has been planted on flood control channels in California [12].

OTHER USES AND VALUES:

Food: The fruits of Mariposa manzanita can be used to make jelly [22].

Medicinal: The leaves of Mariposa manzanita contain arbutin, a glycoside that is broken down to hydroquinone in the urine. This gives manzanita disinfecting qualities that make it useful in the treatment of mild urinary tract infections, bladder gravel, chronic kidney inflammations, and water retention. The leaves also function as a mild vasoconstrictor for the uterus [22].

Wood: The trunks and branches can be used in wood carving and woodworking [22].

Mariposa manzanita and greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula) as raw material for processing into products such as torula yeast, furfural, methanol, brewer's yeast, and other assorted sugars and acids. These products were obtained through hydrolysis of various wood components [6].

MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:

Mariposa manzanita can be effectively controlled through the aerial application of herbicides such as 2,4,D; 2,4,5-T; 2,4,DB; and triclopyr ester [13,14,33]. Mariposa manzanita plants can also be killed by heavy chopping or burning [27]. However, controlled burning alone is not an effective method of removing this shrub from a site because the heat from fire stimulates germination of the residual seed stock in the soil [5,13]. For burning to be effective, it needs to be done in conjunction with some other control method, or on a frequent schedule [24]. Continual heavy winter browsing by deer can kill young plants in 4 to 5 years. Winter browsing can also retard plant development and delay seed production [5].

Related categories for SPECIES: Arctostaphylos manzanita | Parry Manzanita